What Are the Signs of Heroin Addiction?

I found a ball of crumbled, burned foil and a lighter. Is there a way to tell how recently it would have been used to cook drugs?

I had my suspicions with my boyfriend of over a year, but chalked it up to all the severe injuries in his life (car accident, coma, pro boxing). He had excellent excuses for everything. The final straw was when I found out he lied to me about losing his job and not paying rent and there was at least 3k of missing money. Then I knew for sure.

I bought a drug test which he refused to take. I did notice a lot of black marks on the walls, but figured that was from working in auto industry. After he lost his job, in a month, the black marks doubled. He nods out a lot, comes home very sweaty with flushed skin, complaining of dry mouth. He always keeps his cars locked and me away from them. He never has "friends" over, always walks away to have phone conversations and deletes texts as they come in. He has no contacts saved in his phone other than me and his parents.

He always makes excuses to leave for an hour or so. Recently, he's been jumping out of bed, throwing on sweatpants and running out the door (he used to be so concerned with designer clothing, keeping his hair trimmed, his teeth, etc). So far there has not been one morning where we've lounged around in bed snuggling like normal couples. The other day he woke up and ran out, and I checked his pockets to see if he had actually been working. I can't say I was surprised to see a beer can bottom with burn marks all over it. This most likely means he's using the can to heat up the heroin and inject it. Other giveaway signs: the nodding out (always blamed on being tired, but if you look online, you can see the difference), constant scratching, insomnia, kicking (literally kicking the habit- withdrawal), lying, missing money and jewelry, extreme secretiveness. Oh – and constricted pupils! They don't change with the lighting. That's how I know if he's high now. He has slurred speech, sometimes (not always) raspy. He always blamed it on alcohol, but doesn't seem to be drunk. He also has loss of coordination and clumsiness, along with spots on his legs he said were picked pimples, but now I'm assuming otherwise. He is mixed with pretty, tan skin, the spots are purple and a little smaller than an eraser tip. Also, keep in mind needles now are 1/10th the size of a sewing needle, so it's hard to see your stereotypical track marks. And you can inject into muscle instead of vein, although the effects are not as strong.

As far as behavior, my boyfriend is the most sweet, affectionate, loving person. He loves to talk to me for hours, and seems to remember everything I say. But he gets defensive and leaves if I even hint at drug use. He seems to be going downhill quickly, now. He worked at same place for six years, but now is constantly job hopping, but for the past two months, doesn't seem to care about anything, even knowing we will most likely get evicted and he will lose me. He used to spend hours at the gym, but hasn't worked out in forever. I can't believe it took me a over a year to piece everything together, especially being a psychology major.

I knew something was wrong and tried to fool myself, and now look what I got myself into. The signs are often very subtle and accompanied with the most brilliant excuses, so watch out! This is a lifelong battle for anyone. Best of luck to you all.

God help the addicts and their loved ones. It's a nightmare!

What does it mean when someone says they did some h. Is that a sign of them doing heroin?

Why does anyone put something into their body that they will not know the outcome of? It has to be absolute ignorance!

I only have one body and I want to keep it for as long as I can, and I am not taking any chances of harming it.

If you would wash and wax your car, or do the laundry, etc., then why would you care less for your own life? I just do not get it! Can you imagine the first time someone ever tries this stuff? I mean, what can they be telling themselves: Jump off a high bridge; it will feel good on the way down?

@valverde: Many people hide cigarettes or joints in emptied Sharpie pens. Try taking them apart to see what's inside. Wish your family the best!

@valverde: First, my prayers are certainly with all of you. Nar-anon is a great resource. Also, if he will go to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, that's wonderful.

The Nar-Anon folks will probably be your best local resource. They're dealing with this, just as you are, and have a lot of time put in doing homework and getting educated, and you can benefit from that.

Also, if there is a mental health association in your area, they may be a good resource, too. Addiction is a mind game, even more than a physical one.

If you can't get a copy of the Alcoholics Anonymous "big book" from your Nar-Anon group, get your hands on one somewhere. Yes, it's alcohol, but AA is the blueprint for all other 12-step programs, and that book is by far the best look at the addictive personality ever written. Just substitute "heroin" for "alcohol" as you read, and there you are. It's very readable and not at all clinical, as far as a lot of medical terminology being used.

God bless you all. Good luck.

We just found out our 20 year old grandson has been using heroin for over a year! We are very unfamiliar with drug or alcohol abuse. He came clean after his mother saw him sitting in his car smoking? He doesn't smoke cigarettes.

He told the family about his problem, that he wants to quit, and was glad he got caught, etc. We scrambled to find info and local help. He has been taken to several meetings, and has joined a clinical program to help him. He said he never did drugs at home, but we cleaned his room while he was away at a meeting and found several cigarette lighters, hollowed out pens, foil squares, and a bunch of sharpie pens?

We found out online, and from other people we spoke with, that when heroin is smoked, the hollowed out pens are used like a straw (?) to inhale smoke. What we don't know yet is what is with the foil and the sharpies? If anyone can clear this up please post an answer or info. We need all the information we can get to be of help if needed. We are also looking into local nar-anon meetings.

It has been a very hard, stressful five days. So many questions. Thank you whoever you are for taking time to read this and offer information. Anything, suggestions, advice will be so very much appreciated. So many things are starting to make sense now. There were things we noticed, but he always had a good answer for. The list is too long to go into it now. The whole thing is mind boggling. Only by the grace of God can a family deal with this kind of news.

My stepson Steven posted it on his face book. I wonder what it could do to family members. He told his dad and showed it on the facebook to him. He is upset with me now Steven and I don't get along. He's been caught with drugs before. --Scared

anon160317, I'm not sure if you still need help, but it is very possible that he is smoking heroin. I am actually dealing with my boyfriend hiding heroin use right now, and I can tell you signs of smoking black tar heroin that you won't find on many other sites.

Usual signs include nodding out, unbearably itchy skin, constricted pupils, and dry mouth. There are all signs I have observed personally. Also, look for aluminum foil lying around in rolls or sheets. The way I found out for sure was I actually snooped in his closet while he was in the shower and I found balled up foil in his closet. I opened it up, and there were burnt black lines on it. I also found "straws" made out of hollowed out pens. They use the straws to chase the smoke as it burns off of the foil.

Another thing to look for is black residue on the fingers as well as on objects that he frequently touches, including walls. The tar is sticky and it gets on everything. I feel for you and I am in a very similar situation you are in. My boyfriend admitted an addiction to oxycontin to me a couple of months ago, and now I am in a lot of pain knowing what he has been doing since then and I have to confront him very soon.

My boyfriend of eight years and the father of my four year old little girl has concerned me lately! I have already caught him hiding an addiction to oxycontin in the past and i am afraid that he may have now moved on to heroin because of the people he surrounds himself with and he has been having severe mood swings and deleting everything out of his cell phone which he never did before.

I am a medical student so I know the signs of an injection site, but I have seen none. I just know that the man I fell in love with is not the same man today. Can you give me more advice on what to look for? he is so defensive every time I try to talk to him!

I need help, how do I convince my brother in law that he is son is using heroin. how do I get him to believe it?

If you are worried about a child’s exposure to heroin or drugs, the best approach is a preventative approach. Being open with your kid about the realities of drugs and their role in society can discourage a child from use. It also builds trust and opens up channels of communication should your child need to talk to someone about their addiction. Kids are very smart and capable of having serious discussions. This is especially true if your kid feels that you can relate to him/her and the stresses s/he is facing. Kids are not naturally born with the ability to cope with life situations. That ability must be taught or learned by trial and error.

Most addicts are very good at hiding the signs of their addiction until it has progressed to full blown dependency. "Track" marks are not necessarily going to be on the arm, they can be anywhere that a needle can access a vein. Often times the signs of heroin addiction are only obvious once significant damage has been done to that person’s life. Recreational use can be mistaken for a few drinks, or a weekend with friends. Sometimes you just have to take the chance and ask that person if they need help. Whatever you do, try not to sound critical at first. That will only push the addict away. If you are wrong in your assessment than all you have to worry about is the immediate awkward situation that you will find yourself in.